Tauranga woman Jan Hill has beaten ovarian cancer once and is hopeful she will defy the odds and be among the minority who never have to deal with the disease again.
Mrs Hill was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer, one of the most advanced stages, three years ago but has now been in the clear for two-and-a-half years.
She now does all she can to make others aware of the symptoms and attended the New Zealand Gynaecological Cancer Foundation High Teal at Trinity Wharf yesterday. The annual event is named after the organisation's signature colour, teal.
Mrs Hill only realised something was wrong when her body began to fill up with fluid, making it hard for her to even breathe.
She was taken to hospital where they drained the fluid and she began 12 weeks of chemotherapy before having surgery and a further six weeks of chemotherapy.
Her message to others: "Just be aware of the BEAT - bloating, eating difficulties, abdominal pain and talking to your doctor."
The fundraiser was New Zealand's first screening of the documentary No Evidence of Disease.